D.Camp successfully hosts 109th D.Day in collaboration with NextRise

[Photo provided by D.Camp]

D.Camp, operated by the Banks Foundation for Young Entrepreneurs, successfully held the 109th D.Day on June 2 in collaboration with Dunamu & Partners, Laguna Investment, Shinhan Card and Infobank. The event, co-planned with NextRise to contribute to bringing vitality to the local startup ecosystem, took place at COEX in Seoul.

A total of nine teams that took the stage in the main competition will receive benefits regardless of their victory, including up to one-year incubation at D.Camp/Front 1 and direct investment of up to 300 million won ($230 million). D.Day, which has been held by D.Camp since June 2013, is the longest-running monthly startup demo day in Korea, with over 600 companies having participated to date.

The first session, Campus League, is for very early-stage startups comprised of college students or those that graduated within three years.

Bredis Healthcare, the Campus League Award winner, provides a solution for early diagnosis and prevention management of dementia through a blood test. The company possesses digital enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) technology with a sensitivity over 10,000 times higher than conventional blood tests, as well as data analysis technology. With these technologies, the company can determine whether Alzheimer’s dementia is in progress or if there is a possibility of cognitive function decline within three years. The company obtained domestic patents last month and are currently applying for international patents. Currently, it provides services to domestic university hospitals and research institutions.

[Photo provided by D.Camp]

Novela Studio develops and operates an artificial intelligence-based storytelling tool called Novela. Novela not only recommends topics and creates storylines but also generates personalized results reflecting the settings and styles of individual writers. The company currently provides services to domestic novelists and plans to incorporate AI-based creative functions in the fourth quarter, expanding the market to various fields and targeting global authors.

Mockingbird offers a subscription-based question bank service for the Korean College Scholastic Ability Test (CSAT). Its service stands out for providing a large volume of verified high-quality questions online at a lower price compared to similar existing services. The service operates on a subscription basis and aims to attract an average of 10,000 paid members per month by the end of this year. It also plans to challenge the overseas university entrance exam-related market in the future.

PlanFit provides personalized exercise programs and AI coaching based on over 60 million exercise records. It has achieved over 700,000 downloads to date. When users input their physical information, PlanFit’s AI and trainers analyze it to recommend appropriate exercise options with suitable intensity. Users can receive recommendations for fitness and home routines based on their exercise location.

D-Hive is a company that provides service robots with advanced task performance capabilities as a robot labor platform, aiming to solve the problem of labor shortages. The company initially developed service products using drone autonomous flight technology but expanded its range to include autonomous driving robots that provide services such as nighttime security and pizza delivery. Currently, the company is developing purpose-based mobility (PBV) robots capable of delivering golf bags, distributing parcels and moving in factory logistics within a 500-meter radius.

Ji Ryang Chung, CEO of Tilda [Photo provided by D.Camp]

Following the first session, the second session was held, focusing on developing innovative solutions that can be applied to existing financial services, with the theme of making finance part of everyday life.

Tilda, the winning company in the second session, has developed a solution that optimizes decision-making using AI based on human experience and know-how. The company is on the verge of launching a manufacturing equipment operation optimization service that controls production quantity maximization, defect minimization, and energy consumption using machine learning to improve the inefficiency of manual control of equipment on the production site.

L4BOX operates the interactive education content platform TalkBox for kids based on a large interactive display. It consists of a 55-inch interactive all-in-one device and a movable height-adjustable stand, transferring traditional teaching materials such as paper, pencils, glue, and magnets to state-of-the-art digital technology. Parents and friends can gather anytime to study and communicate.

SalariFy is a fintech company that offers a service called Worked, a management solution for in-house loans targeting corporations. It automates the loan process, including contract management, repayment management, and taxation, reducing the burden on companies. The company established safety measures against the risk of unpaid loans through Seoul Guarantee Insurance. Currently, the company mainly serves other companies listed on the Kosdaq and is planning to expand Worked to startups and MCNs in the future.

Aftercompany provides an omnichannel cloud service that enables store integration, data integration, and customer management at an affordable cost. It allows one-stop store operation with offline POS, kiosks, ERP, mobile and can quickly integrate data from existing brands’ own malls, Cafe24, and logistics systems.